Hamilton came into the pits rather than completing a lap late on, resulting in him slipping to sixth.

Meanwhile, Ferrari and Williams's chances of securing pole position were dashed after Q1, having been caught out by a shower late in the session.

Their mistake allowed both Marussia cars to progress, with Jules Bianchi finishing 12th just ahead of teammate Max Chilton, although the Briton will drop back five places after changing his gearbox earlier today.